During my 5^th visit at the gym, a few of the other guys from the same team were introduced to me including Chris again.  I forgot that we were introduced before.  SE mentioned that was already the second time I met him.  I looked inquisitively at him and asked when was the first time.  He told me.  “Oh the yoga man,” I claimed.  I’m very poor with names and faces, especially guys because they barely interest me at all.  Since then I baptized that tall Chinese guy as “Yoga man.”  Whenever SE retold stories about grappling class and mentioned people’s names, I had to recount by association.  “Chris… Chris?  Oh!  Yoga guy.”

(2002. We hung out by the steps of the building for a while after their grappling class)

In 2004, I had a birthday party (http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/28/Cushees_Birthday_Bash) where my different groups of friends were present –including Deftac and Max3d groups.  At this point, I remember Chris as Chris, who has become a friend from Deftac.  That night was a whirlwind as I saw my old barkada from St. Peter and former officemates from PS.  A friend from the Max3d group, Chie, whispered that she finds the tall Chinese guy cute and was developing a major crush on the guy.  “Oh, Christian.”  I said we a smile.  “I think he’s single.”  I initiated an introduction between the two.  December of that year, Chie was with me when SE and I attended Makati gym’s Christmas party held at Mark Nep’s place (http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/26/Makati_Gym_DEFTAC).  It was the second time they saw each other.  I was surprised though that at the end of the night, the two looked pretty cozy.  I kept giving Chie the eye and shaking my head.  I kept giving Chris the eye and shaking my head. 

I was out of the loop when the two dated briefly.  When that went sour, I was thrust in the middle of it with Chie sharing the story with me.  Chris also called me to talk.  I didn’t try to quell any fire since I make introductions and that’s that.  What happens after introduction does not fall under my responsibility.  I was there for both to listen.

After that incident, my friendship with Chris obviously stepped up a notch.  He definitely got a lot more comfortable teasing me at the gym.  January 2005 finds SE and me at Chris’ birthday party at Rack’s El Pueblo and I see his happy face with girls flocked around him.  I was shaking my head in my head thinking that this guy does get around.  Much to our chagrin, an impromptu fight between two clashing men brewed in the party.  A few days after, CW called me asking for my opinion on a certain issue.

(CW Bday at Rack’s in 2005)

I like acronyms and initials and used to label photos with people’s initials.  Since CW is long when pronounced, CW became C-dub for short.  He never got why I called him C-dub in my entries and photo captions until he asked me several months after.  There were several “ladies” stories after (maybe one that includes a celeb).   I got wind that C-dub was seeing someone from the gym.  It was hush hush at first but it all came out in the open after a while.  CW introduced me to her… Tee Dee.  Tee Dee became my friend.  Initially started with chats at the gym, dinners after gym, and meetings outside gym like dinners, premieres, movies (http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/97/Movie_Group_Date), etc (http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/77/Eurostar).  Soon I was beside her during C-dub’s 3^rd appearance in URCC (http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/65/9-10_December_2005).  December 18, 2005, URCC VII: The Art of War held at Araneta Coliseum.  Tee Dee endeared herself to me and our friendship became tighter than my friendship with C-dub’s.

February 1, 2006 was my flight to Japan for a nearly 1-month study tour sponsored by the Japanese Embassy.  My return to Manila realized a 5-year relationship about to fall out.  Regardless of my detached feelings, SE and I were in the process of working it out.

Tee Dee and I set out a plan to go out of town.  We saw ourselves at Puerto Galera with the group enjoying the long break of Holy Week in 2006 (http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/110/13-15_April_2006).  It was such a fun week at Puerto Galera even I fell in the bathroom and gashed both my hands.

Trouble brewed in June between the two.  They broke up and it was a mutual decision.  Tee Dee cried over my shoulder.  I carried her over the months she was struggling.  I rushed to her each time she called.  She was crying everyday and I felt her pain to the point that I started to feel anger towards CW.  In August, she met someone and the tears stopped coming.  I finally saw a bouncing smile from her again.  Calls of 5 times a day decreased to twice a day.  Calls were not stricken with sadness anymore but with a chirpy voice of revival, updating me on her new found love.

Much of a blow was when CW started calling and getting dibs on how Tee Dee was doing.  I wasn’t going to give any information as I was on Tee Dee’s side.  I didn’t like his calls since I was still angry over the hurt that my girl friend felt.  I told Tee Dee about CW’s thoughts of getting back with her.  Tee Dee told me to tell him that it was over.  She embarked on a new journey already when he came knocking again.  The situation turned and suddenly, he was the one in pieces. 

SE and I attended the birthday party of Tee Dee where the new guy cooked the whole dinner.  CW kept bugging me through SMS having me relay his messages to Tee Dee.  SE, Tee Dee and I were reading his texts.  It was depressing because this was the time he was hurting.  Tee Dee then told me, “Jane, take care of Christian now.  You’ve taken care of me the past few months.  I have moved on.  He needs you more than I do right now.  I think it is best that you be there for him this time around.”